Induction of chronic graft-versus-host disease in a rat model after transplantation of sensitized small bowel allografts.

The recent success in controlling acute rejection in clinical small bowel transplantation has resulted in a number of patients with functioning grafts and an occasional occurrence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). To better understand this complication following small bowel transplantation, a model of chronic GVHD was developed, using the Brown Norway-->Lewis rat strain combination. When the Lewis recipients were immunocompromised at the time of transplantation and received a graft specifically sensitized against Lewis, fatal GVHD developed in 3 of 5 animals. Serial histologic evaluation and determination of donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens were used to delineate the course of GVHD. Although the histologic results were inconsistent, with the exception of the animals developing fatal GVHD, the detection of donor MHC antigens correlated well with the development of GVHD. Determination of donor MHC class I antigens may serve as useful indicators for the development of GVHD.